Redemption of the Azure
by Singsong222
Summary: Team Seven returns from a mission to the Cloud Village, only to stumble into an unconscious Amnesiac who can call himself by no other name but "Makaze", A "Devil's Storm". As Makaze regains his memories he must come to face with an old terror.
1. Chapter I: I of the Storm, Am Makaze

**Chapter I **

**I Of the Storm, Am Makaze**

Team Kakashi had been traveling back to Konoha after the completion of what was meant to be an unimportant delivery mission to Lightning Country. The quickest route back home to Konoha was along the _Daiouro, _or_ "_The Great highway", a remarkably wide stone-paved road that cut through the mountainous forest of mammoth sized trees between the two countries. Since the highway had a tendency to become very traffic-ridden at midday, Kakashi and his Genin had begun their journey at the crack of dawn, and had spent the greater part of that uneventful morning walking.

"Ah shit…" Sasuke muttered with displeasure "There's another one coming up…" Farther down the hillside, the four of them could see a small red building with a flag bearing the cloud emblem floating lightly atop the structure's pointy roof, pitched off at the left side of the road. There had been plenty others exactly like them: check out points spaced out along the length of the road.

"Language, Sasuke…" Kakashi scolded.

"…Sorry…" Sasuke muttered with irritation.

"Ok guys" Kakashi sighed. "You know the drill, have your ID ready to be checked, and have your bags opened when we get there. The more cooperative we are, the faster this will go."

"Kakashi-Sensei you said that last time… We did everything you said we should and yet we were still there for fifteen minutes getting asked stupid questions." Naruto complained "Height, age, hair color! Can't a guy just tell those things when they're looking at us! That's so stupid!" He shouted.

"Maybe they are that stupid…" Sakura grumbled.

"I know that doing this is like pulling teeth for you guys, but you are going to have to control yourself; it'll only get worse if you can't—"

"How come we can't just skip the road and go through those trees, nobody will notice; we'd get home much faster" Naruto suggested.

"Can't, laws prohibit it." Kakashi explained impatiently.

"Why are they so uptight about the security? Why don't they just have these tolls at the border instead of the road?" Sakura asked inquisitively. "Nobody else runs things like this."

"Dunno, though I can wager a guess or two. Number one is that we're Konoha ninja. Our reputation world wide and our own personal 'relationship' with the Lightning country government might tempt security to place even more-than-usual scrutiny."

"But why?" Naruto asked "What do they have against us?"

"I'm not going to give a history lesson, so I'll condense it to this: If the Lightning country had been winning that war several years ago, they wouldn't have offered or accepted a peace treaty. They were forced into accepting it; and that might have hurt their ego. More likely, is that they simply have old habits of distrusting other nations because of the war. It's a natural feeling." Kakashi finished his statement with a shrug as he removed his bag from his back and opened it up.

"You can't carry more than one weapon, and it can't be over three and a half kilograms in weight. The speed limit keeps people at a walking pace. You can't have more than five thousand Ryos on your possession while outside of residential areas. And worst of _all_, you can't even bring certain foods, medicines, or even makeup into the country." Sakura lamented as she remembered that she was forced to come on this mission without putting any makeup on. "These measures are _extreme_…"

"Extremely _annoying_." Sasuke grumbled bitterly as he rubbed his near empty weapons pouch.

"I know I know… I've come here a few times since the peace treaty and it's always been this way; except the road was still in construction. That meant not only did you have to suffer from security measures but you also had to murder your feet just to get around given the topography of this region. This is the reason I recommended that I go alone on this mission; I knew it was going to bore you kids to death. Wasn't it Naruto who demanded that the three of you come along?"

Sakura and Sasuke shot contemptuous glares at their teammate.

"What? I thought it would be fun."

The two of them grumbled. He blushed and turned away, muttering in embarrassment.

"_Idiot…" _Sasuke thought to himself as he pulled his bag off his back.

"Let's not discuss this anymore now." Kakashi told the group. "IDs out everyone?"

"Kakashi-sensei look!" Sakura pointed at the toll station. The door at the back had swung open and a pair of Cloud ninja's ran out, sprinting in their direction. One of them had a short sword, and the other was wielding a small crossbow.

"This is the first time I've seen them abandon their posts. They look hostile." Said Sakura nervously

"_If they're going to attack, every second counts. But I attacked first but falsely, I'll only put us in more danger…" _Kakashi kept his calm, but his thoughts raced.

"Are they going to attack?" Naruto asked as he got into a defensive stance.

"Team, stay where you are; I'll take care of this. Don't do _anything_ unless it's absolutely necessary." Kakashi didn't turn for a response; when his tone was grave, his students would listen; and understanding between him and his students that was easily learned and never forgotten. He kept his Kunai under his sleeve and remained alert, but he wasn't going to risk making the wrong move. Kakashi took a few steps forward to distance himself from his students.

"Can I help you?" Kakashi asked tentatively. There was no response.

As the Two cloud ninja approached conversation range they slowed down to less than walking speed and split up on Kakashi's left and right. One of the ninja was wearing a radio headset and appeared to be listening to it intently with an almost terrified look upon his face. The other had his crossbow aimed at Kakashi as he walked around, eyeing him cautiously. Kakashi remained silent and still with the Kunai still hidden in his sleeve.

"What do you!—" Naruto was about to demand an explanation but was cut off by Sasuke's elbow shoved deliberately into his chest. The three of them then remained silent and waited nervously as the Cloud ninja's wary observation continued. The two of them finally got behind Team seven and rejoined, then whispered a few inaudible words to each other. As soon as they finished they jumped into the thick of the forest and disappeared.

"What was that all about…?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"By the way, Naruto, that stance you showed off was completely flawed." Said Sasuke

"Was not!" Naruto retorted angrily

"Was too; it looked like a pose or something that you copied out of a comic book." He retorted, smirking patronizingly.

"Well, let's look at the bright side," Said Sakura as she sighed in relief. "We won't have to go through inspection. Right Kakashi-sensei?"

"Oh? Yes, right." The sensei replied absent mindedly. He wasn't listening to a word his students were saying. _"I've never seen Border Patrol act like that before, ever… What reason could they possibly have for—" _Something strange caught Kakashi's attention. He stopped and closed his eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?" Naruto asked. Kakashi raised his right hand, signaling silence. The three of them watched their Sensei apprehensively.

With his eyes closed both Kakashi's sense of hearing and touch strengthened, and the sounds and motions he had noticed became clearer. He could hear branches cracking and moaning under pressure and their release, and he could feel the pounding of feet moving through the dirt and gravel.

"_It's too rhythmic to be wind or animals… It could only be people, large numbers of people. It doesn't sound like a fight has broken out, yet."_

Kakashi could hear the subtle vibrations of dozens, if not, hundreds of humans running in the distance. The sounds were too distant, too numerous, and far to varied to interpret any sort of pattern, but he could hear them.

He started to consider the possibilities, but he realized now was not the time for deep thought. Something big was happening in the Lightning Country, a mobilization of mass proportion. It seemed unlikely to him that he or his students or even Konoha were involved in any way, as the agents who had just passed them obviously knew where they were from and otherwise would have stopped them. Nevertheless, they had to leave as quickly and quietly as possible.

"_It is unlikely with their level of training, Naruto, Sakura, or even Sasuke will take notice of those sounds, it would probably be better to keep them ignorant of, for now at least, if it also keeps them relatively calm." _Kakashi thought to himself. With his eyes closed he noticed something else, something different. The air pressure had changed suddenly, something his students could probably notice.

"Oh… just wonderful." Kakashi mumbled. "Guys, it's going to rain soon, and it's going to rain hard. We had better pick up the pace."

"Why? I don't see any clouds." Naruto replied skeptically.

"I can feel air pressure changes. Plus, I just remembered that the sky was red this morning, you guys remember _don't _you?" Kakashi lied, but made his tone sound intimidating as to ensure they wouldn't question him. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto mumbled to themselves.

"I don't recall a red sky this morning—" Sasuke muttered. _"But he's right, I can feel it too." _

"Then you're mistaken. You remember the saying I told you?" Kakashi asked parentally

"Red skies at morning, Ninja's take warning." The three of them muttered discordantly.

"Let's go. These storms gain strength quickly."

"Isn't it illegal to run?" Sakura asked

"Don't worry about that now." There was a sense of urgency in his voice, and he did not look behind him to see that they were following his lead.

"_Even at this pace," _Kakashi thought _"It will still take several hours. We can't stop for anything until we cross the border into the next neutral buffer state; we're not safe until then."_

While they were running, a few rain drops began to fall on Sakura's shoulder.

"Kakashi-Sensei, you were right, it is raining." Sakura sighed "This can't be good for my hair…"

Naruto and Sasuke held out their hands as a light drizzle fell upon them.

Kakashi looked up at the sky through what little was not hidden between the trees and could see the dark thick grey of storm clouds. In a very short span of time The sky had grown markedly dimmer. _"A thunderstorm… But at this hour of the day?"_

"Like I said, it's going to get heavier very quickly; we need to move faster" Kakashi picked up the running pace.

"Couldn't we just move through the trees," Sakura suggested "to avoid getting—"

"No, we have to stay on the road." Kakashi interrupted. "And please keep quiet." Sasuke gave Kakashi a skeptical glance.

"_What's so important about staying on the road, I wonder…" _He thought to himself.

Within a matter of minutes, it was raining in buckets. Flashes of light filled the sky and the crack of thunder roared through the forest air, shaking the ground with it. Sakura was heavily frightened and covered her ears as she ran, keeping her head down. Kakashi ignored the weather and a remained apprehensively vigilant. Naruto and Sasuke followed, not saying a word as Kakashi had ordered, but were heavily discomforted by the ever more tumultuous volleys of rain which had by now completely drenched their clothing. Finally, as the minutes running passed into hours, the surroundings become more level and less mountainous, the rain, however, continued.

"_We're almost at the border to the next country…" _Kakashi thought. And at last, a large sign with the Cloud village emblem could be seen through the thick curtain of precipitation. Next to the sign was a fairly sizeable wooden cottage. There looked like what appeared to be smoke coming out from the structure's chimney, and light shown dimly from the cottage window.

"_I've seen that building before." _Sakura thought to herself, feeling a deep sense of relief _"That's the border headquarters that the Cloud Village owns; we passed it on our way here." _

The dark silhouette of female stepped outside of the cottage into the rain with a lantern in her right hand. Her shouts could not be heard over the thunder, but she made heavy beckoning gestures with her left hand. Kakashi said nothing but turned and gave a nod of approval to his students, and they hastily entered the cottage. Once inside the stranger shut the door behind them.

"Sit d-down, all of you." The woman said with a wavering voice "Once…Once you're rested I'll uh— tell you what you need to know." Turning her head and body to the four of them, team seven could finally see their host in the light. She was short and slender, not young, but not very mature looking either; perhaps in her early to mid thirties. She had medium length faded red hair, and nobody could get a very good look at her eyes though; the glare from the lantern reflected too heavily off the wire-rimmed glasses that she was wearing. Finally, she was wearing unusually casual clothing compared to other Cloud ninja that team seven had seen, all of whom thus far wore the traditional grey and blue uniforms. If she didn't have the standard Cloud protector wrapped around her arm she could have easily been taken as a civilian.

The interior of the cottage was basically empty. Aside from the entrance there were only two doors, and both of them were shut. The main room that four of them were in had only a table with some old wooden chairs, a book case, and a fireplace.

As the three Genin sat down at the table, panting from exhaustion. The woman gestured Kakashi towards the corner of the room, away from his students, and the two spoke quietly to one another. Naruto and Sakura were preoccupied with drying themselves off whilst Sasuke observed the conversation between Kakashi and the woman, but the pounding of the rain outside and the frequent crashes of thunder made their conversation completely inaudible.

"Thanks for letting us come in here." Said Kakashi as he moved back towards the center of the room; the conversation apparently over. The female ninja made a friendly but brief smile in response.

"This place doesn't look very much like a headquarters." Said Sakura, looking around and observing the room's poor condition

"It isn't really, it's just called that. Our border patrol comes here every now and then when the whether gets bad, or when they need to rest." The woman replied.

"Where do those two doors go?" Naruto asked as he pointed to the two doors at the other end of the room

"I'm going to get to the point; as I really shouldn't be letting you in here." She said, ignoring Naruto's question "I'll let you stay until the storm starts to die out. It's been quite awhile and these storms can't last more than a few hours." She moved towards one of cottage's windows and peered through the water covered glass pane distressfully.

"Is this the reason you're called the lightning country," Sakura asked. "Because of these storms?"

"Depending on the legend you read about, yes our lightning storms that come east from the sea are sometimes credited for our country's name. Regardless, once I let you go, you must leave the country immediately, and it would be best if you returned straight to Konoha." She turned around and moved back towards Kakashi.

"Any particular reason why?" Sasuke asked. The woman shook her head and shrugged, leaving Sasuke unsure as to whether she was didn't know or didn't want to say.

"By the way, we never got the name of our… most gracious host." Sakura noted in the most polite way she could think of at the time, then finally came out with it. "What is your name anyway?"

"It's Hasume, Hasume Ta—" She stopped herself. "Hasume"

"We understand. And we thank you again for your hospitality, Hasume." Kakashi replied. He held out a handshake of gratitude to the stranger, but Hasume didn't move.

The Five of them waited out the storm as it continued to downpour. Hasume spent the rest of the time looking out of the window with the same worried look on her face, and Kakashi was standing next to her, whispering a few words in her ear. Sakura was still at the table, trying to fix her hair with the only tool she had brought, her hands. Naruto had moved towards the fireplace and was drying himself off. And Sasuke had moved to one of the room's corners to distance himself, staring at the wall agitatedly. After a few minutes the rainfall weakened, the thunder stopped, and the sound of birds chirping resumed. Just before Kakashi walked out the door Hasume gave him an unexpected hug.

"A-alright Gang." Kakashi said uncomfortably as he slowly pried himself away. "It's time we head out." He headed out the door and his students followed… Hasume waved meekly goodbye but stood there saying nothing as they left.

"Kakashi Sensei," Sakura called out as they continued running. "What were you and… Miss Hasume talking about?"

"It's personal stuff… She wanted someone to talk to. I'm not going to betray her trust and tell you guys, I'm sure you can understand that."

"Yes, of course; I didn't know that's all," Sakura replied apologetically "She did seem awfully upset."

"_Her husband had been called out, and she was told to stay at that cottage. She didn't say why… Terrible really, they were a newly wedded couple too. I hope it turns out alright for them…She wasn't very articulate… She had said something about… their sons." _He shook his head and broke the thought from his mind; he had more pressing matters to deal with.

"I have another question." Said Sasuke "It's obvious we weren't running from rain. What is it, exactly, that you realized was going on in the Lightning country that he had to get out of the border. And why"

"I'll tell you when we get home." Kakashi replied

"Why can't you say it now?" Sasuke asked

"It would interfere with the safety of the mission. I'd tell you if I thought it would make a positive difference. Just trust me for now." Sasuke sighed and there was no further discussion.

The group had been running for over an hour and they had already passed the official border into the neutral zone long before. They were no longer running along the _Daiouro_, which ended at the Lightning Country's boundaries; it was now a dirt road. By now the storm clouds had passed and the sun was shining overhead yet again. "We're going to stop here for a few minutes." Kakashi announced

"Why here?" Naruto asked confusedly. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and I can still keep running."

"I know you can." Kakashi smiled humorously. "We stopped because of that." He pointed at a decrepit outhouse that was located at the side of the road.

"What's so special about that?" Sakura asked

"Nature calls." Kakashi replied casually.

"Uggh! Yuck!" The Sakura and Naruto remarked in disgust "You're kidding right?"

"What? I've been holding it in for hours. And since it's been raining… well… I don't want to think I wet my pants, or think that I didn't." There was not an ounce of sarcasm in Kakashi's voice.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" The three Genin called out "YOU'RE DISGUSTING!"

"Just wait here, I'll be out in a minute." Kakashi replied politely as he stepped inside the foul chamber.

"Our Sensei is a nut-case." Naruto muttered as he, Sakura, and Sasuke paced around a nearby tree. A warm and unusual breeze passed through Sakura's body.

"_Sakura-San." _A voice called out. It sounded like a whisper, yet rung like an echo in her ear.

"Who said that?" Sakura asked as she looked back and forth frantically.

"Said what, Sakura-Chan?" Naruto asked confusedly.

"_That would be me, 'who said that'. Over here." _There was a figure, pretty tall, wrapped in a grey cloak with a leather bandolier strewn across his shoulder, and with his back leaned against a tree some distance away from Sakura.

At the distance between the two of them, it wouldn't have been possible to tell from sight that the figure was a "He", especially given that "He" was covered from head to toe in the cloak, face included. It was, however, the masculine tenor of his voice that lead Sakura to assume this person was in fact a "He", whoever "He" was. But it did take a few seconds for Sakura to tie the man's voice to the man himself; it was, after all, a whispering voice; and he was certainly not within whispering distance, and even more so since he wasn't even looking at her. He appeared to be looking down at a shiny object that he was twirling between his fingers; it looked like some sort of blue colored knife, a Kunai perhaps. Given the distance, she couldn't see its particular shape clearly enough, but she could tell, if it was a Kunai of some sort, that it was an odd looking one, the hit looked thicker than usual and the blade looked longer and wider.

"_I require your assistance, Sakura-San." _Said the man.

"Assistance? For what?" Sakura asked aloud.

"Sakura, who the _hell _are you talking to?" Sasuke stared at her, bemusedly.

"There's a man over there, can't you see him?" Sakura pointed at the tree.

"Sakura-Chan, I don't see anything." Naruto replied. "Just a tree." Sasuke just shook his head and resumed staring at the ground. Sakura rubbed her eyes vigorously, but the man's image did not disappear.

"_Am I seeing things? Is this a genjutsu?" _She slowly moved her hands into a dispelling sign.

"_You are seeing me, in a sense at least. And yes, this is an illusion, again in a sense; I lack the time to explain._

"_He can… read my mind?" _She thought to herself as she continued staring at the tree where the man stood.

"_That is a negative way of putting it. But yes, I can 'read_'_ your mind, or, at least your thoughts; just like you can read mine." _The man lifted his head ever so slightly, revealing only his mouth and chin. _"Notice that my lips are not moving?"_

"But… How? It's one thing to trick a person, but to read their mind is another thing entirely." Said Sakura aloud.

"_Call it genjutsu, telepathy, or whatever you will, that is not my concern, and like I said I don't have the adequate time to—" _The man paused mid-speech, then continued but with something completely different _"__ But notice how your two associates are standing there, looking at you and asking themselves why you are acting so… well… see for yourself." _He stood up straight and folded his arms, but his head was still bowed downward and none of his face could be seen. Sakura looked back at Sasuke and Naruto who were both looking back at her.

"Sakura-Chan, are you alright?" Naruto asked.

"I…" She didn't know what to tell the blonde.

"_I advise you to start by lowering your hands, and then tell him that it's nothing, and that your eyes were merely playing tricks on you before."_

But they were playing tricks on her now, she thought to herself.

"_Then are you not telling him the truth?" _The man asked to her unspoken thought with a chuckle.

"I—I'm sorry. I thought I saw something. It must be my eyes; playing tricks on me that is." Sakura said to Naruto, lowering her hands.

"_Now," _Said the man _"to save you from any more potential embarrassment, we can talk from now on in thought rather than in speech. I can hear every word." _

"_You mean… Like this?" _She sounded out the words to be spoken in her mind; it was kind of an odd thing for her to do, at least deliberately for the sake of talking to someone else who apparently doesn't even exist.

"_Yes." _He paused. _"Now, I need you to come over here, by this tree." _Sakura stirred at first but then stood still.

"_Why should I trust you?_ _You've got a weapon in your hand after all. I don't know who, or what, you are, where you came from—"_ She kept her thoughts about this man as just that, thoughts; being conscious of the fact that Naruto and, more importantly, Sasuke, didn't see what she was seeing and couldn't understand.

"_This thing?" _He asked, waving the blade in his fingers. _"You can have it if it makes you feel more comfortable." _He held out the hand holding the object and, at shoulder's length, let go, letting it fall and lodge itself in the mud and grass.

"_That's not the point" _Sakura replied. _"The point is, in case you hadn't noticed, is that you are a total stranger who appears out of nowhere and can apparently read people's minds. And a sane person isn't just going to listen to someone like that, or, at least, they shouldn't."_ Admittedly, Sakura did not _feel_ the least bit nervous. In fact, there was something incredibly calming about the way he spoke, almost hypnotic; but she knew the bizarre circumstances surrounding his "appearance" should be treated with distrust, and yet she couldn't bring herself to feel that way.

"_No, you should not, I am aware." _The man replied. _"For what it is worth, I promise you it will make sense soon enough. But I still require your assistance… Please"_ He turned around and walked around to the other side of the large tree, now out of Sakura's view.

"'_It' will make sense? What will make sense?" _Sakura asked. There was no response.From her point of view, the man's tone had sounded pleading, almost desperate, and her curiosity couldn't be contained very much longer. Sakura took one step forward, then another, eventually she found herself walking towards the tree.

"Sakura-Chan where are you going?" Naruto asked

"I just want to see something…"

"Can I come?"

"No, just stay here for a second, don't worry about me." Sakura replied in a surprisingly polite manner. Sasuke gave her a short glance.

"_What's gotten into her?" _He wondered.He shook his head, scorning the thought of concerning himself even slightly with Sakura's emotions.

As she approached the tree, a blue glitter of light coming from the ground hit her face. Looking down she could see a blade; the very same one that the mystery man had been holding and dropped earlier. It must have been, Sakura thought, as it did appear in the exact same place where he'd dropped it.

She bent down and picked it up, then wiped is clean of any mud and dirt.

"_Strange" _She thought as she held it in her hands _"It certainly looks a bit like a throwing knife, though the blade portion is a little long. The color looks strange, especially in this light; I've never seen any steel that color of blue before, and it's obviously not painted on. And the hilt…" _The strangest part of the weapon was that it didn't seem to have one. Down the base of the blade there was a short stub of metal positioned off awkwardly at an angle which would have made it too unwieldy to hold without cutting one's hand.

"_It looks like the end was broken off from the hilt." _She realized. But looking back at the ground Sakura couldn't find any other pieces to the blade. Then something rather odd, yet obvious, occurred to her as she looked back upon the piece of metal in her hands, _"If he wasn't really there, how did he drop something that clearly is?" _She pinched her hand lightly with the weapon to be sure it was in fact real, and indeed it was.

"Incredible," She muttered to herself. "I've got to show this to—"

"N-nuh…" At that moment her ears picked up a feint whimpering, it sounded as though as though it was coming from behind the tree.

"Um… Whoever you are? Is that… you?" She whispered allowed. The murmuring, however, sounded nothing like the voice she had heard before; it didn't ring ear like the other one did. In fact she was almost certain it wasn't from the same man. But who else could it be? But Sakura didn't move.

"N-n, No I…Ugh…" And there it was again. The words were hard to make out; they would grow loud and then taper off suddenly.

Slowly Sakura edged forward until she was touching the bark of the tree.

"I-I didn't… N-No please…"

Gathering her courage together Sakura stepped back and then made her way around the tree. She couldn't help but shriek and drop the blade in her hand as she laid eyes upon what it was that had been making those noises; A Boy, roughly Sakura's age, lay slipping in and out of unconsciousness and twitching on the ground. He had gauntly pale skin that was otherwise covered in bruises, egg-shell white colored hair, and was wearing what appeared to be the remnants of a traditional Cloud Village Shinobi jacket and pants, which had been torn, bloodied, and charred in several areas. His forehead protector, which lay untied on his lap, bent and twisted so oddly that one could barely make out the cloud emblem on it.

"My— What happened?" She whispered to herself.

"I'm s-sorry." The boy muttered. He didn't appear to be aware of Sakura's presence; he was talking with his eyes closed, and whatever or whoever he was talking to it certainly wasn't her.

"_I have to apologize." _Sakura heard the mystery man's voice again, but looking all around her she could find no sight of him anywhere. _"I did the best job I could bringing him here. Please, be kind to him. He is, how do I say, "Broken". Take him with you, bring him to—"_

"Sakura-Chan!" Shouted Naruto a he ran toward her "I heard you—" But he stopped talking when he too saw the boy, his jaw dropped slightly and was speechless for a few moments "What happened?" He then asked with an impassioned curiosity.

"I don't know!" She replied defensively. "I came over and found him sleeping here."

"Sleeping? That's the understatement of the century!" Naruto pointed at the kid. "Look at him!"

"Look" Said Sakura "Whatever happened; we should inform Kakashi Sensei. He'll know what to do."

"Interesting…" Sasuke had since walked toward where the two of them were standing and now all three of them were looking down at the unconscious child. "Those burns on his clothing: they are very peculiar."

"Peculiar? How?" Naruto asked "They look pretty normal to me."

"How does someone burn their clothes like that without the slightest hint of it on their skin?" Sasuke asked "Look at him, not even first degree burns, only bruises. Explain that to me."

"Maybe he put those clothes on after they had gotten burned for some other reason…" Said Naruto

"You've got to be kidding me…" Sasuke muttered

"Well then what do _you_ think?" Naruto retorted defensively.

"I don't _know_." Sasuke replied. "…That's what bothers me."

"We could just ask him." Naruto suggested. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but then snapped it shut and scowled; realizing how silly it was to have neglected something so obvious.

"Something up guys?— Wha… oh… " Kakashi had walked over and saw what the others were looking at. "What do we have here?"

"Sakura found this kid." Sasuke explained.

"This doesn't look good…" Kakashi said as he knelt down examining the kid closer, checking his arm for a pulse. "Well he's alive, if you couldn't tell already. It looks like he's endured a lot of bleeding, but it's stopped now. That's good news at least." He reexamined the boy's cloths, something bothered him about it. _"Strange, he's covered in blood, top to bottom, but I don't see any wounds on him." _He thought.

"Sakura, you still haven't t told us how you knew he was here." Sasuke commented.

"Well… that's the thing. You would call me crazy if I tried to tell you." Sakura muttered to herself insecurely.

"Try me." Said Kakashi "Trust me; I'm sure I've heard stranger stories."

"Alright…" Sakura sighed and explained briefly what had happened.

"You said a man in a grey cloak?" Kakashi asked after Sakura had finished her story. "With a bandolier?"

"Yes!" Sakura replied

"You said he dropped a weapon of some sort, and then he told you he needed your help?"

"Yes exactly, he dropped a blade." Sakura replied. "I—Oh, when I found him I kind of freaked out and dropped it." She picked it up from the ground again and handed it to Kakashi. "This is the one."

"Do you think this man is real Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked. "Sasuke and I didn't see him. He could have been a—"

"Of course he was real! How else could he have dropped something like that?" She snapped back, pointing to the blade.

Kakashi stood silently for awhile; he took a look at the blade, and then put it aside in his pouch. As usual, he kept most of his thoughts to himself. _"This is troubling business…" _He thought to himself as he looked at the road ahead, and then at the boy _"We're in a neutral zone, but if we take him with us to have his injuries treated we may be accused of kidnapping which could bring us, and Konoha, more diplomatic trouble than he's worth, but if I tell the group we're just going to leave him I'll never hear the end of it." _Admittedly Kakashi personally despised the idea of abandoning the innocent in a situation like this, and if the boy was one of his own he would never even think of contemplating it. But he was not, and, in a situation like this, Konoha's diplomatic security came first. _"This man Sakura mentioned, he sounds very much like… But that's not possible, is it?" _

He lightly tapped the boys shoulder. Suddenly his eyes shot open, they were a pale blue with pupils narrower and more slit-like than those of an average human. He looked around frantically at four strangers who were looming over him.

"W-who are you p-people?" He asked in a panicked and quavering tone of voice.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi, the girl in pink hair over there is Haruna Sakura, and these two boys are Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, respectively." He gestured subtly to each of them, at which point he reached his arm out to help pull the boy off of the ground, but the boy didn't move.

"W-Where am I?" He was still shaking and apparently the introduction had not changed his anxiety.

"Try to relax a bit. By the looks of you, you've been through quite the ordeal." Said Kakashi.

"Oh man… What Happe— I…" The boy looked down at his clothing and his skin and shuddered. "What happened?"

"We were about to ask you the same thing…" Sasuke muttered.

Finally Sakura interjected. "We found you beat up like this. Come on, let me help you up." She smiled and lightly grabbed the boy's wrist and, with little resistance, he slowly and cautiously pulled himself off the ground. As she helped him up Kakashi noticed a thin black circle on the boy's forearm underneath his bruises. Finally the boy was standing on his own two legs.

"Sakura, you said that was your name?" The boy said, turning to Sakura.

"Yes, yes that's right."

"Thank you, Sakura-San" He gave a meek smile, but then lost balance and clutched the tree with his right hand for support.

"Are you sure you can stand? I mean… your legs—" Sakura walked closer, but the boy raised his other hand to halt her.

"I-I can stand…" He replied, slightly less nervous than before "My legs don't hurt. It's just my balance. I feel dizzy." His spoke a bit stronger and clearer now that he was, at least somewhat, standing up straight. There was something incredible mellow his voice now, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity upon hearing it.

"So you don't know what happened?" Kakashi asked "Would you happen to know where your squad is?"

"…My squad…" He muttered the word to himself. There was a blank, almost incomprehensive look in his eyes.

"You're a Cloud Village Genin _aren't_ you?" Naruto asked "So where are your teammates? You've been unconscious for a few minutes at least…"

"Your uniform, you_ are_ a Cloud Shinobi." Sasuke added. The boy looked down at his uniform and struggled to think.

"…I… I don't remember." He replied. He had a look upon his face as if he was trying to recall something, which quickly turned to a look of fear. "I don't remember anything…" He started shuddering again. "That's not right; that can't be right."

"You can't honestly expect us to believe that can you?" Sasuke asked. "Look, we're not your enemy and this _isn't_ an interrogation. We're just trying to find out what happened to you and where your squad is so—"

"Well than what can you remember?" Naruto shouted, interrupting Sasuke.

Sakura flinched, recalling what the man had told her a few minutes before.

The boy said nothing.

"So you don't remember anything about yourself? Your family? Your friends? Your…" Sakura asked.

He boy shook his head, looking down at his feet.

"_Please, be kind to him. He is, how do I say, "Broken"" _Sakura snapped her fingers. "Amnesia!" She said aloud. "He has amnesia."

"He's lying." Sasuke growled under his breath.

"Does that mean you don't even know your name?" Naruto asked curiously, not

"My name is Makaze." The boy's response was immediate, almost mechanical. For a few moments everyone was silent.

"Makaze?" Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "Never heard a name like that before, what does it—"

"Makaze…" Sakura muttered solemnly "It's a cursed word, It means 'Devils Storm': a title of reference to evil or a monster of evil." Naruto was consumed in thought at hearing this, and Sasuke could not contain his frustration with his team any longer. "But why would anyone have a name like that?"

"I can't believe you people actually believe him!" Sasuke shouted to the three of them. He then took a few steps forward, staring down "Makaze" face to face. "I'm tired of your nonsense. Quit lying! Makaze is not your real name, and even if it was you wouldn't remember because _supposedly _you're an Amnesiac, which is also obviously another lie. Tell me are all cloud ninja compulsive liars like you?" Sasuke asked, poking him in the chest, but with surprising vigor Makaze snatched Sasuke's wrist with his right hand and held it in the air, pulling him even closer.

"It's the TRUTH!" He yelled back indignantly. The two were locked together, eye to eye, and Sasuke froze up; the color flushed from his face. His eyes widened in fear and his jaw dropped.

"…M-Makaze, let Sasuke g—"

"Don't call me that!" Makaze interrupted, his right hand shaking "I'm not—" He didn't want to say it. "I'm not that kind of person! I don't know why I'm called— But I'm not!"

"No one things your evil, M— kid." Naruto took a few steps forward and attempted to reassure Makaze. He of all people knowing there was nothing funny about being labeled as evil.

"I-I can't… Change it. I can't change that name… I don't know why." Makaze's hand holding Sasuke's wrist stopped shaking and his arm fell slightly, but his grip remained.

"We are who we are not by our words but by our _actions_." Said Kakashi calmly "Let Sasuke go."

Makaze closed his eyes and sighed. He understood what Kakashi meant, and repealed his grip on Sasuke, who gasped and nearly keeled over upon the release, clutching his forehead with one hand and his wrist with the other.

"Are you alright Sasuke?" Kakashi asked

There was no response.

"Sasuke, I said are you alright." He said in a louder and more authoritative manner.

"… It's nothing." Sasuke replied, straightening himself up. "I'm— It's nothing. I'll be over there…" He grumbled "Waiting for you people to finish this… nonsense."

Kakashi turned back to Makaze.

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked Makaze

"Sure, what is it?" He replied meekly.

"The boy behind me with the blond hair is named 'Naruto Uzumaki'. Would you be able to say to me 'my name is Naruto Uzumaki'?"

"Why does he have to say that?" Naruto asked

"Just try it." Kakashi told the boy, ignoring Naruto's question.

"I'll… Try, I guess…" The Makaze responded.

"Good, go ahead." Kakashi smiled.

"My name is Na…" Makaze tried to form the words aloud, but something kept him from saying it. His face flustered and he sighed, then tried again. "My name is Nar…" Makaze clenched his fists tightly, attempting to say something that simply wasn't true.

"My name is… _Makaze_…" The last word came out in a mutter. Tears began to form in his eyes out of his own frustration; he turned his head away from the four Leaf Shinobi and placed his hands and his head on the tree. "Why can't I say it? Why? It's not fair I don't WANT to be called Makaze… I'm not evil. I _swear_ I'm not evil."

"Relax; I think know what your… problem is. I am fairly certain it's curable." Kakashi remarked. "I'll be able to explain a bit better when we get home."

"Does that mean Makaze is coming with us?" Sakura asked

"…Yes. He is. You need to be taken back to a village with a proper hospital, but there's no way we can re-enter the lightning country now. For now, Konoha is our only option. Of course, the option is entirely up to you. Do you wish to come to Konoha with us?"

"Can you even trust me?" Makaze turned around and began wiping the tears from his eyes.

"That's something you'll have to decide." Kakashi explained. It took awhile for Makaze to finally understand, and when he did, he replied.

"So I'd be able to go to Konoha?"

"For a time… Yes, I suppose." Kakashi gave a small nod.

"I… Alright… you people seem nice enough. I'm sorry for being a… liability." Makaze responded.

"Not at all."

"Hey, Kakashi Sensei, if Makaze makes a better ninja than Sasuke can we kick him out of team seven?"

"Naruto…" Sakura mumbled angrily.


	2. Chapter II: The Assassin Returns

**Chapter II**

**The Assassin Returns**

Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, built up his bureaucratic composure as he heard the sound of footsteps headed towards the door to his office. His anticipation had been mounting ever since he had sent an order to speak with Kakashi early in that morning the day after his return to Konoha. An attendant partially opened the door and popped her head out to speak.

"Hokage-Sama, Kakashi is here as you have requested." Said the attendant.

"Let him in." The Hokage replied. The attendant nodded and walked away. A few minutes later, Kakashi walked through the door and to the desk. Several years of discussing matters with Kakashi gave the Hokage the knowledge not to offer him a seat; Kakashi always preferred standing.

"You're here, and see you appear unharmed! That's always good. So, then I trust the mission went safely?" The Hokage asked.

"Yes, no one in my team got injured. C-Rank missions usually aren't as eventful as this one was. First Tazuna, now this…" Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he lamented the unlucky streak of missions he had been receiving lately.

"You sent a messenger to me that evening when you returned. You said that the guards in the Lightning Country had abandoned their posts and were moving through the Forests. Is that correct?"

"Yes Hokage-Sama, it is. I apologize though, I never found any clues as to why it was going on, and I left as soon as it became clear that it was no longer safe there."

"I think that was for the best; you made the right decision not to investigate… I had tried to do some investigation myself. After I received your message I sent an airborne letter to the Raikage asking to know if there was a rational explanation as to this… development."

"You did? So what was their response?" Kakashi asked

"Quite simply, there was no response. I was told not to send any further messages, unless I didn't want to see my birds back. A stupid threat really." He chuckled to himself, though is tone was that of discomfort and concern. "It's very unsettling though; they made it clear in the letter that they were discontinuing diplomatic communications with all other Shinobi nations. I can only hope this isn't the preamble to war. Nevertheless I would like to know what you thought the reason was for the actions of their guard." He took his pipe off from a stand in his desk and placed it in his mouth.

"My theory has to do with their law that a person cannot travel through the Lightning Country on non designated paths. The fact that so many Cloud Ninja were moving through the forest, an illegal travel zone, meant that they were after a considerably dangerous lawbreaker." Kakashi paused

"Go on." The Hokage said as he lit the pipe.

"There's not much I can say, except for the fact that two Cloud ninja had the appearance of preparing to attack us, myself and my students that is."

"You mentioned that in the message, yet according to you there was no conflict…" The Hokage muttered with the pipe still between his teeth.

"Yeah; they took off. Perhaps they had decided we weren't a threat; or maybe didn't think they would be able to take me on alone and ran for help. We started running to leave the country immediately after that, so I am not absolutely sure as to whether or not they ever had intentions of bringing reinforcements to pursue us. We did meet another cloud ninja who provided us with temporary cover from the thunder storm that had started during that time; so I am fairly certain we weren't their target." Kakashi stopped speaking. The Hokage removed the pipe from his mouth, exhaling smoke.

"I don't think that the Lightning Country was ever interested in You, Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura either. That box I had you send to Kumogakure had money in it. What once belonged to a Fire country landlord was requested in a will to have been given to his son. While it _was_ a lot of money, it's certainly not enough to cause the events you described. I wouldn't be worried about your students and their relation to this issue. If this incident was related to a single person or ninja squad, they would have at least tried to track them down, the fact that they ignored you testifies to this. No, that is certainly not it." The Hokage said. "Either way, we know next to nothing about what is going on in the Lightning Country right now; and why they have isolated themselves. If there is else you know what would help, please let me know, because the Leaf Village Council wants me submit a report to them by noon. They're about as curious as I am as to what happened, and they want to make sure that we are taking every necessary step should this come to affect our village."

"Yes, there is. Sakura claims she saw The Assassin, as in _The_ Assassin of the Cloud Village." Kakashi sighed.

"The grey man of the mountains?" The Hokage placed the Pipe back into his mouth. "And the man who singlehandedly won the Invisible War? You didn't mention that.

"No I did not. I think, most likely, it is the very same. I know he is a character in the myths of the Lighting country; and based on Sakura's description of him he pretty well matched up with a few wives tales I've heard in my travels in Kumo. I know he's some sort of alleged prodigal hero, but I've never heard the specifics about The Invisible War."

"Anyone can don an outfit and pretend to be a legendary hero, Kakashi." Said the Hokage "But I'm sure you already know that. What makes you so certain…?"

"When Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and myself were heading back to Konoha I remembered what a woman had said to me in a tea house in Kumo.  
She said that the Assassin worked tirelessly to repairing the minds of those who had been traumatized by war, pulling them out of the battlefield and healing those wounds which a doctor could not, and, when the time was right, returning them to their families. She claimed her daughter had been a Shinobi who had disappeared over a decade ago, and then, a few years later, she returned, but she didn't remember anything about what had happened, but then the daughter told her she remembered seeing man in—"

"A grey cloak and a leather bandolier." The Hokage finished Kakashi's sentence.

"Exactly."

"And…?"

"This man had left Sakura with a bit of a gift, before he apparently disappeared." Kakashi explained.

"I take it that this has to do with the Cloud Village boy that was admitted into the Konoha Hospital two days ago…"

"Yes. Sakura claims that the Assassin led her to the location of an amnesiac from the Cloud village. He's probably a Genin, about the same age as Naruto or Sasuke."

"Kakashi, is there something _particularly_ special about this boy that you would risk a massive diplomatic conflict between us and the lightning country as a result of a Shinobi abduction. Because I do not think they are going to be too happy when word comes to them about what you did." Said the Hokage gravely.

"I believe I've given the reasons why there is something particularly special about the boy. He claims he doesn't remember anything about who he is—"

"And you believe him?" The Hokage asked skeptically

"I do. There is one important thing though… He remembers his name, and it appears that he's physically bound to it." He calls himself 'Makaze'." At hearing that word, the Third flinched. "I tried getting him to say he was Naruto, he couldn't will himself to do it. And I could tell he wasn't pretending."

"Name-binding Justus… I haven't heard of that technique being used for over a decade; it was deemed a forbidden Jutsu, nasty business, very dehumanizing." Kakashi and the Hokage both remembered a time when Shinobi from certain nations were given numbers instead of names for the purpose of military efficiency; it became a symbol of the void that existed between a Ninja and a Human being. "And his name Makaze you say? What an awful thing…" He paused and thought to himself; once again exhaling smoke from his pipe. "I'm going to guess that you think this, "Makaze", is one of the Assassin's patients?

"The connection seems solid enough. One other thing," Kakashi noted "The Assassin left Sakura with this object." He reached into his pouch and withdrew the misshapen blade, placing it on the Hokage's desk.

"It looks like the blade of a Kunai or a dagger, broken off from the hilt." The Hokage said as he closely examined the object in his hands. "It feels and weighs like metal— and yet the color… Strange… I don't see the significance of this though…And yet…"

"Azure, I think that shade of blue. But you're right I've never seen a metal of that color bef—" Kakashi stopped when he noticed the Hokage pipe had fallen out of his mouth and dropped onto the desk.

"Did I say something…?" Kakashi asked

"…Azure…" The Hokage muttered to himself, picking up his pipe and placing it back on the stand "Tell me about his general appearance." The Hokage put the pipe back down on his desk. He then bent down to and move towards his office bookcase, examining the various books closely

"The Assassin? I told you everything I know." Kakashi answered.

"No." The Hokage replied impatient. "Makaze, tell me about _him_. Go on; I am listening."

"Well… When we found him he looked beat up pretty badly. Like I said, he's around Sasuke's or Naruto's Age. He's got very light blond hair, arguably white."

"How about his eyes?" The Hokage asked as he pulled out a rather large book and slapped it on his desk. Judging by the amount of dust that had accumulated on it Kakashi estimated the book hadn't been opened, let alone touched, in over a decade.

"Light blue, I noticed his pupils seemed kind of narrow, snake like or reptilian." Kakashi commented.

The Hokage opened the pages of the book and flipped through them, then stopped at a page and began to read to himself silently.

"How about any clan markings on the body?" The Hokage asked, keeping his nose buried in the dusty text.

"Now that you mention it… He _did_ had a black circle on his forehand, although it was kind of difficult to tell given the injuries. Other than that… Well, you can meet him for yourself; I had him sent to the hospital to make sure the wounds were not infectious, he'll be out in a day or two if everything checks out." Kakashi stopped and looked at the Hokage who had his finger running across a page. He stopped and flinched a second time, then looked up.

"That's a good idea, you are dismissed."

"You act like you've figured it out, Hokage-Sama." Kakashi remarked.

"I _believe_ I have." The Hokage slipped a book mark inside the page he had been reading and closed the book, laying it to the side of his desk. "I apologize though I can't tell you, need to know basis only. I'll probably end up telling you anyway though. For now, I'll arrange a meeting with, 'Makaze' and ask him a few more questions. For now, you're not in trouble for bringing him here either. And one more thing…"

"Yes Hokage-Sama?"

"I'm sorry to say I don't have time to fill you in on the whole legend concerning The Assassin and The Invisible War. Hyuuga Hiashi actually knows it better than I do, and I do not believe he is on any missions at the moment. Later, if you feel like it, you can ask him to tell you. Just stay on your guard, He's still very touchy about the Cloud Village, due to the Hinata abduction. But if what you say is true, there is the possibility that there is more truth to his story than I'd originally thought."

"I'll keep that in mind, oh, and one other thing."

"Yes Kakashi?"

"Hokage-Sama, Do you believe the boy and the crisis are related?"

The Hokage shook his head and sighed, the meaning of it was somewhat unclear, but Kakashi did not press for any answers. Just as he had entered, he humbly walked out through the door.


	3. Chapter III: Setting the Agenda

**Chapter III:**

**Setting the Agenda**

It was now noon, and Makaze was looking out of the window from his bedroom in the Konoha Hospital. He had been given a new set of pants and jacket, as his old ones had been near completely wrecked by whatever it was that had wrecked them. Luckily, his cuts and bruises were all of minor nature and, much to Makaze's relief, none of them required stitches. There were a few bandages on his arms and hands but nothing that restricted his movement very much, and out of a desire to keep the bed tidy and undisturbed he sat on a nearby wooden chair instead.

He had a notebook and pencil in his hand; one of the doctors had given it to him in hopes of it helping him improve his past memory or at least help reinforcing his current one, and since he had nothing better to do, he decided he might do some writing while he sat.

"_Addressed to Makaze." _He wrote; then stopped, staring contemptuously at the word he had just written. He moved his pencil down to scribble it out; but his arm, hands, and fingers wouldn't allow him to touch it. Once it was written it was there for good it seemed. Sighing, he looked away, out the window, for a few moments, and then continued writing.

"_The doctor recommends that I writing down my thoughts and feelings as a way to help strengthen my long term memory skills; or rather, what is going to be my long term memory seeing as they extend less than three days as of now. This morning I spent a few hours taking medical tests, or what the doctors referred to as an "extensive checkup", to make sure that my recovery will be a smooth one. What they did confirm to me was that the part of my brain which deals in long term memory is "messed up" according to them. I believe the term specifically is "dissociative amnesia"._

_According to them, I haven't actually lost all of my memories. I've lost a fraction of what are called my declarative memories, which include knowledge of abstract facts as well as of particular events, except I've only lost the latter kind. For example, I happened to already know what a hospital was before I was admitted; I also knew what doctors and nurses were, and it's clear to me now that I know how to read and write so I probably haven't lost any or at least most of my trained skills, but I don't remember how I learned these things; I just know them. For the same reason someone could forget about who their music teacher was yet still be capable of singing, but the individual might not know that they could sing proficiently until they actually tried it because they never remembered doing it before, how strange is that? I didn't know for a fact that I was able to write until I went and did it, because I never remembered doing it in the first place, and yet I knew was writing was! But there's one thing that bothers me, how is it that after everything I've forgotten, I am able to remember that my name is—"_ He stopped himself quickly, not wanting to write that word on paper a second time. He shook his head feverishly, and then changed the topic. _"Anyway Right now, I've been told that I'll be getting the results of my other tests relatively soon; so I'll just write while I'm waiting to get them…"_

He paused again, thinking of what he could say.

"…_I honestly have little thought on what to write right now. I feel a sort of 'emptiness' in the fact that I know nothing about myself, and cannot think of any sort of… I don't really know what to call it. Perhaps that should be the topic of this discussion… I'll break a paragraph here, as this can be my prologue._

_A Good way to explain what I am talking about is going back to a conversation I had with Naruto Uzumaki, On the way to Konoha I was kind of weak and my head was fogged up, and Kakashi-Sama had been helping me walk on my own two feet the way back. And while we were walking I recall that Naruto had told me it was his intention to become "Hokage of Konoha" (Like I talked about before I was able to remember who the Hokage was) Anyway… I suppose that is a good goal. More importantly than the goal itself, was idea of a goal. It's a sort of hope for the future that a person invests in and applies themselves to; it's also something that I don't feel I have. _

_At the time, I wondered if goals were exclusive to Naruto, and asked Sakura what her goal is, she said she didn't really have one. Naruto whispered, though very loudly, that her goal was 'Sasuke-kun' He said it in a very feminine voice, for some reason, at which point Sakura hit him the second time that day. I wasn't quite sure what this meant either, how can one person, be another person's goal… unless of course Sakura was aspiring to BECOME like Sasuke. But why would anyone want to be like him? But that doesn't explain why Naruto said it in a feminine voice, or why Sakura hit him because he said it. I'm trying to figure out why someone as nice as Sakura hits someone as nice as Naruto in the first place, maybe it's a joke? But then she really needs to know that she's being too aggressive…. Once again, I didn't feel it was safe to ask for a clarification; even if it was a joke, those punches look very painful. _

_I wasn't tempted to ask Sasuke about what his goals are; the two of us haven't spoken since... our little incident. I tried to apologize for my earlier behavior but I doubt he accepted the apology. He avoided eye contact with me the entire time also, it was very awkward. _

_This inability to fully understand what Sakura and Sasuke's goals is very frustrating. But regardless, maybe if I can understand the reasoning behind the creation of a goal, I can make one myself. As it seems that the creation of a life goal is what makes a person's day to day experience seem purposeful. Perhaps later, if I get the chance, I should ask Naruto Uzumaki about it, yes… I think I'll do that._

Makaze stopped the pen in his hand and paused in thought for more ideas. He looked out the window. His eyes shifted to bright orange flower in a vase that lay on the nightstand. Makaze flinched, and resumed writing.

_I had completely forgotten about two things; Sakura came in earlier this morning after the tests to talk with me (and it's very important that you don't forget about it). She had this purple flower in a very tiny little vase; I think she said it was an aster flower. According to her it's a flower that's supposed to bring good luck in healing. I felt very happy having someone to talk to, especially given how boring it is around here. I made a promise I would repay her in some manner, although she said it wasn't necessary. I still believe I should figure something out…"_

Makaze paused again and nibbled on the bottom of the pencil while he thought, then wrote:

"_Would that constitute a goal? I'm not sure. Anyway while we were talking, she asked me a few questions, like how I was feeling and things like that. There was really very little for me to say; the worst feeling I have is the feeling of being cooped up in this room. In terms of my physical condition though, I feel fine; which is what I told her. After that, she asked me if I knew anything about a man who wore a grey cloak with a leather bandolier. I never remembered meeting such a man, but there was something oddly familiar about the description she gave me. Sakura says she saw him near me while I was unconscious. I gave her the honest answer… I feel bad that I couldn't have been of more help to her, since she seemed very intent in knowing. I hope maybe one day I can meet this man face to face, so I can tell her something she might find valuable._

Makaze paused and looked over his work. As he looked on he heard the sound of footsteps nearing the door

_I'll stop writing for now." _He quickly scribbled in the notebook.

Makaze put down his pen and looked up at the door as it slid open. A nurse walked through the door with a clipboard wrapped in her arms. She looked around the room and smiled at him.

"You know, I thought this room would be a wreck by now. I've never met a boy your age that didn't trash his bed within a few hours in visiting; that is unless we restrained them to such an extent that… Well." She laughed. "Yet it looks like you haven't even touched it yet. Did the orderly come into the room yet?" The nursed asked him

"No, I haven't touched the bed yet." Makaze replied "I tried to keep the room as I found it."

"Ah… if only my kids were like you…" She sighed. "Oh, I'm off on a tangent here. I came here to give you your results." The nurse entered the room completely and raised the clipboard to her reading level and began speaking.

"You have no serious infections, broken bones, or damaged ligaments. There's some other information on here, but I don't know if you would understand or care to understand; but it all checks out as positive with the exception of one thing; your blood loss. Kakashi noted that you experienced dizziness and lack of balance, which is explained by the blood loss which we found. But from our judgment, it is minor blood loss; nothing fatal or dangerous at this point. Your cuts should heal in a few days, and once we find a suitable living space you'll be free to—"

"Excuse me." A hospital secretary had peeped his head through the open doorway and looked at the nurse. "Are you the nurse of this room?" He asked her.

"Um…Yes."

"This is for you." He handed her a small note and walked off. The nurse read the letter to herself silently. She then looked up and sighed.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but my supervisor wants a blood sample from you."

"I thought you said I had blood loss problems, isn't that somewhat… contradictory?" Makaze asked confusedly.

"Well… it won't be enough to cause any problems."

"Alright…" Makaze replied, shrugging. "Did the note tell you why I have to do this? It's not that I have a problem with it… I'm just curious."

"No, unfortunately it didn't, sorry."

"It's alright." Makaze smiled and the nurse walked out. Makaze then dropped the smile and sighed.

Elsewhere, on the roof of a building some distance short distance away lurked Team Ten. Yamanaka Ino had a pair of binoculars and was spying into the window of Makaze's hospital room. To her left and right were her two unmotivated accomplices Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji. She had heard rumors of Team Seven returning to Konoha with an extra 'member' alongside them. She had found a perfect position to observe the room without getting noticed but at the same time would have to wait until the person she was dying to see stood up.

"What are we doing again?" Chouji asked

"I've said it a hundred times; we're investigating Sakura's new lover." Ino replied, lowering her binoculars.

"How do you know that, for certain, exactly?" Shikamaru asked

"Sakura never told me who the flower was for. The one she bought earlier today, she tells me everything if I ask her, with one exception; anything relating to Sasuke. I did some investigating of my own, and found Sasuke was at training grounds, but Sakura was headed for the hospital, so I knew there was someone else. After that, I persuaded the border patrol to tell me about the rumors of team seven coming with a Cloud Village Shinobi, they told me that he was a boy about the same age as Sakura. Unlike you two, I put two and two together. Anyone who can distract Sakura from Sasuke has to be _something_ amazing…"

"I COULD have put two and two together, but then, unlike you, I'd realize that all of this is a waste of my time. I'll pretend that I can understand why this whole flower thing is an issue to you, but I _still _don't understand why you had to enlist Chouji and myself in your petty personal matters. It's troublesome, really." Shikamaru whined

"Keep your voice down! And I'll only say this once, you are here to cover me, and make sure there are no other girls spying on this kid either, I want to be the first one to meet him. You're also here to make sure Sakura doesn't see me, since I last saw _her _leaving the hospital a few hours ago."

"You are being paranoid, Ino, Sakura could be visiting a sickly relative, like a grandmother." Shikamaru suggested.

"Ooh! Shikamaru! An _amazingly_ attractive grandmother!" Chouji joked. The two boys laughed and exchanged high fives. Ino grunted contemptuously and looked back into the binoculars, as she tried refocusing the lenses back to the window, she saw the back of a figure leave the bedroom and shut the door; Ino had lost her chance.

"GRRrrr! You two made me lose him!" She seethed, squeezing the binoculars between her hands.

"Your charade has failed." Said Shikamaru, amusedly.

"Let's just go eat lunch." Chouji suggested.

"Look! If you are not going to be any help, you can _leave_!" Ino yelled.

"That's the most selfless thing you've ever said to me all day." Shikamaru replied, still laughing. "But seriously, why not just go into the hospital and visit this individual yourself. Or ask what time '_he_' is leaving." As the two Team Ten boys jumped from down from the rooftop, Ino sat cross-legged and contemplated that idea…

…At relatively the same time, Sasuke brooded in the team seven training yard. It had been his intention to focus on perfecting Chakra control from when he had learned it a few weeks prior. Doing so was especially important since Sakura had taken to it so easily. And worse yet, he was dangerously close to being on par with Naruto. Unfortunately, a recent barrage of missions, useless ones in his opinion, took away any free time he had to him to train. Ironically, the thoughts which wracked at his mind that day made it impossible for him to stay focused in the least.

"_How does Kakashi know that this… 'Makaze' is telling the truth?"_ Sasuke wondered _"Is there really something particularly interesting about that crybaby of a cloud village boy that Kakashi would see it important enough to bring him here? Why did Sakura see a 'cloaked man' when I could not? What does it all mean! And how did he…" _

"Damn-it! Sasuke." He muttered to himself, then went back to scaling the tree vertically; taking each step slowly. Almost immediately after did his thoughts begin to drift once more.

"_The idea that someone can be forced into calling themselves something is crazy. How does Kakashi possibly believe it's true?"_

"Just shut it out. You're. Training…" He said loudly to himself. _"Shut. It. Out." _Yet it was no use.

"_The way I felt when I looked into his eyes…" _Sasuke thought to himself_ "Those weird light-blue eyes…_" For quite some time, Sasuke had used the fear and dread he felt from that day four years ago as a means to fuel his vengeance. _"What was it that I saw? Was it real?" _But this was different.

"SHUT UP!" He kicked off the tree he had been walking on and flung a kunai he had been holding at the bark of the tree. Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the thing that relaxed him the most; images of himself kicking Naruto's ass in a fight in front of everyone, and doing it in an effortless and elegant fashion. As his breathing slowed down he heard the noise of approaching footsteps and turned around, Kakashi was behind him.

"How goes the training?" Kakashi asked.

"I think you already know the answer to that question." He muttered.

"I do? Tell me then."

"I keep getting distracted." Sasuke replied

"Oh well if you put it that way, I'll leave." Kakashi turned around and started walking away.

"Kakashi sensei, you've been watching me; you know what I'm really talking about…"

"I am not going to read your mind on command, Sasuke." He said firmly.

"The crybaby." Sasuke muttered contemptuously.

"What about him?" Though he did not understand Sasuke's problem with Makaze fully, he knew Sasuke felt particularly irritated about him, perhaps even more than irritation and certainly there was something greater than mere distrust that motivated it. He'd grown tired of Sasuke using the term crybaby to describe him, but he also knew Sasuke could argue at any time it was less of an insult than 'Makaze', and he wasn't going to enter a debate about whether it was appropriate to be calling Makaze that term.

"Why do you trust him?" Sasuke asked, speaking louder and more assertive than usual "How do you know anything he says is true?"

"I have my reasons." He explained calmly "The Hokage agrees with me as well. For a Shinobi, that should be enough for you. But if it makes you feel any better, He's in the hospital right now and the staff there will be able to figure out precisely whether or not he really has amnesia, and if so, to what extent."

"…Fine then." He snapped bitterly "But what about his name? Does someone really have the power to strip a part of someone else's own free will from them, permanently, like their ability to call themselves what they chose?"

"I am going to take some time to explain to you, as well as Naruto and Sakura what I know about Makaze's condition in the near future. But the short hand answer is yes, it is possible." Kakashi explained

"Why can't you say it all now?" Sasuke asked assertively. Kakashi sighed

"Because I am going to wait… and so are you." He waited before speaking again. "What I also wanted to know is if there was something in particular about what happened, between you and… Makaze… Something besides the fact that you don't believe he's telling the truth about his… problem." There was a long period where neither Kakashi nor Sasuke said a word.

"…Sasuke…"

"If you can keep secrets from me… I feel entitled to keep secrets from you." Sasuke eventually replied, bitterly.

"I take it that means if and when I do explain things, you'll come forward?"

"We'll see."


	4. Chapter IV: The Harbinger

**Chapter IV:**

**Harbinger**

It was now well within the midst of the night, and Makaze's hospital bedroom was one of the few that still had light shining from its window. Makaze looked out at lights of the village's homes and buildings as he drew more writing ideas into his mind. He wasn't entirely sure if they were inspiring him or perhaps the sight of all of them and the various colors from the lanterns was simply mesmerizing him.

"…_The doctor was very nice about giving me the extra time before; I have so very much on my mind I ought to write quickly in order to ensure that it all gets done in time. This was the earliest time I could resume writing prior to noon, and I restate that much has happened since then…_

…_The first thing the doctors did was draw blood from me. The nurses took somewhat unnecessary pains to assure me that the experience with a needle wouldn't be as unpleasant as they thought I thought it would be. One of them informed me that many boys my age still cried about taking needles from time to time. I found this fact both funny and strange because a ninja should, idealistically, be accustomed to the experience of pain, and a needle is not much different from a kunai, except a needle is cleaner and designed to create small holes, where a kunai… Well I am getting technical. But a kunai is probably worse. In fact, it's sort of like how people can be afraid of snakes and spiders, but not bathtubs, even though more people are killed by the latter. I guess it's because people's fears all too often rarely reflect the actual danger associated with something, but rather, sigma and experience, and so their decision making is thus warped in bad directions. But this is an unnecessary tangent…_

… _to make the long story shorter, the doctor then made the injection and I felt a sting of sorts, but as I expected it wasn't anything to cry about. However, when I turned my head to see was going on, something went oddly wrong. I only took a small glance at my own blood but found myself completely SICK to my stomach at the sight of it, almost immediately. I'm also not entirely sure about this, but I think I saw a flash of something, an image that almost 'hit me' when I made that glance, but I didn't see the image for long enough to figure out what it was I was looking at and why my reaction to it was so bad. Regardless, I nearly threw up and started panicking. The doctors removed the needle and gave me what I believe was a sedative to calm me down. A Sedative; that's one of the things I already knew before asking, like I talked about in my last journal. Anyway, I apologized for the problems I caused, and they resumed with the extraction, this time I closed my eyes while they did it and thought about something pleasant; that aster flower came to mind…_

…_In hindsight the above story is rather strange, and somewhat unexpected. Two days ago, when I first met the Konoha ninja, I was covered in blood, but I didn't seem to react to that at all. Perhaps it's because I was distracted or confused, and maybe because the blood on my clothing had largely dried out and thus looked more like a bunch of red stains than actual blood… Either way, sensitivity to something as simple as blood is not something I want to keep as one of my traits, it's not very advantageous for a ninja, and it certainly is embarrassing. I can only hope it is a temporary condition…_

Makaze paused… Biting his teeth down on back of the pencil, he thought awhile, and then resumed writing.

…_I want this journal to go in two directions now… Take note of this for later, because I want to discuss that above paragraph a bit more. However, I think it is best if I followed the plotline of the day's events FIRST, rather than going off on a tangent. I had wondered something about me being a Shinobi…_

Makaze circled the word 'Shinobi' and placed a question mark next to it.

…_After that, I was allowed to go to the faculty cafeteria since, according to the nurse; I was no longer a patient after they made the extraction. I could not leave, however, because as a foreigner I still needed to be checked out, which would be done after 'they' (I assume that means Konoha's government collectively) could find me a place that I could stay. I was somewhat uncomfortable about sitting next to any of the people who worked there, or any of the patients either, so I took a vacant table. While I was eating, (An unimportant detail, but the food wasn't very good) a young secretary who I remembered from before told me that I must had been "rather popular", because there was a blonde haired girl "throwing a fit in the lobby that she wasn't permitted make an appointment to visit you.", as she said in her own words. I didn't recall ever coming into contact with a blonde haired female at all actually. Maybe she knew me before I lost my memory, or she made a mistake. The latter is more likely, though I'll be very exited if it was the former. Either way, I feel somewhat obliged to go to her and make sure that everything is in order; I felt bad that someone went through all of that trouble only to be rejected. I asked for her name, and she said that it was 'Ino Yamanaka'. I need to remember that name for the future…_

…_After that, there was very little for me to do but hang around the hospital. There were very few places I could go; rules say patients aren't allowed to visit most patient rooms, the ER and the recovery center (For good reasons of course). In short, there were very few things I could do in the very few places I could visit. I feel I am being too diplomatic in my phrasing… in all honesty there was nothing I could do, except walk. This boredom lasted for about one and a half hours. I counted…_

…_However, something interesting happened after that hour and a half. I didn't get word of what caused it, but a terrible accident had occurred, and a man had been crushed by something. I think it was falling debris, since judging by his outfit he looked like a man in construction. The doctors rushed him in, but this case was considerably severe; deformities in his rib cage were threatening to cause fatal damage to his heart and lungs. (Make no mistake that wasn't an astute medical observation on my part, I'm no doctor. I just couldn't help but hear what they were saying) and they wanted to operate on him as quickly as possible, as a result, they began their Healing Jutsus immediately, right in the lobby. While a few of the janitors and staff had sort of served as body guards by ushering people from getting too close, I was close enough that I could see exactly what was going on, but far enough that I could stand there without getting told to move. The guy's screams were terrible, and I was very afraid to look at him directly given past experiences. So instead of looking at the man, I chose to look at one of the head surgeons…_

…_It was probably only a split second, but it felt like an eternity, I was able to see directly into the eyes of the head surgeon. And in that while I almost felt as if I was THAT very doctor. I didn't particularly understand the nature of it, but it seemed as if I experienced the very feeling of his Jutsu; in which poured chakra from his own body into another in order to remove and mend his broken rib cage, it was then I realized then that the doctor was almost in as much pain of losing so much chakra from his body as the injured man. It felt exhausting watching him as he performed the operation, so I can't imagine what it must have been like for him. But aside from the physical pain, there was a strong element of inspiration that came from me watching him, but I don't really know why…_

…_Well… to make the long story short, (I know; too late) the operation was a success and the man was partially re-stabilized after a total of three and a half hours. 'Partially' meaning that his rib cage was no longer a threat to his heart or any of his internal organs (Something I found out through eavesdropping after the completion of the surgery) I managed to intercept the Surgeon to congratulate him; he was somewhat surprised by my enthusiasm, and I think it's because he never really gets that kind of recognition…_

…_I couldn't help but feel obligated to help around in any way I could, and proceeded to ask him if there was some way I could help around the hospital. At first he thought I was some sort of Genin doing a D-Rank mission, but I explained I wanted to do it because I felt inspired to do so. He was fairly impressed, and asked what my skills were. When I told him that I didn't know I he became confused, and At that moment I realized that he didn't understand about my amnesia, and I proceeded to explain my situation…_

…_He said I should talk to the head orderly and ask if there was any way I could offer help. When I went to him he too appeared confused at first, but he eventually put me under the direction of another orderly who showed me his work and explained how to do it, then had me work alongside him. It was fairly repetitive and uninteresting as I went from room to room making sure everything was in 'order'. Hence the origin of the name, or at least I think so…_

…_I was tired afterwards. (afterwards being only a few minutes ago, when I was 'discharged' at lights out). Regardless, I felt as if I had done something important, despite it merely being cleaning. There is something satisfying in helping out in any way you can, really…_

"_Oh, and I almost forgot, I want to talk about that tangent—" _

But at that moment he shivered at the feeling of a gentle yet potent breeze pass through the room.

"What the—"Makaze looked up at the window, but it was closed just as he had left it.

"_I knew I had left it closed, but what was it that…"_ He got up out of his chair and moved for the window; close examination revealed that it had been locked shut. Stepping back from the window, he scratched his head, bewildered.

"_It's nice to see you again, up and about after your ordeal." _

"Who said that?" Makaze looked fearfully around the room, he had just heard someone's voice being spoken right into his ear, but no one was there.

"_I'm right here."_ The voice replied. Makaze felt a tap on his shoulder and he spun around. Finally he saw him; the Assassin, wearing the same clothes as he had worn in front of Sakura. He was sitting modestly at the edge of Makaze's bed. His arms were folded neatly on his lap and his hood was hanging over his head, cloaking his entire face. Makaze also noticed the Assassin had on a pair of fingerless gloves.

"Who are you? And what are you doing up there?" Makaze panted as he jumped back from the bed; his hand clutching his heart having been scared half to death by man's random appearance.

"_I would advise you not to communicate with me aloud, since no one else can hear me except you. So from now on please just think what you are going to say."_

"_That's crazy… it's impossible to read someone's thoughts."_ He thought to himself, still breathing heavily "_Is this some kind of Genjutsu?"_

"_Not true at all, it is very possible." _The Assassin replied even though Makaze had never said anything aloud. _"And you know… it is rather interesting… The other girl, Sakura, when she met me she had said the same thing."_

Makaze became startled from that response.

"_So you… really CAN read my thoughts?" _He replied in thought.

"_Yes. Now; to answer your initial question: "Who am I" As of now, I cannot tell you… yet. However I think you've heard of me before, which is good enough as far as titles go." _Makaze pondered for awhile. Then remembered his mentioning of Sakura and, having recalled Sakura's own testimony, replied.

"_So wait… You're the man that Sakura was talking about! The cloaked fellow! Yes, Sakura mentioned you."_

"_Then you know it was I who was responsible for bringing you here, at least metaphorically speaking."_

Makaze thought about it for awhile._ "I guess you did…" _No longer sensing any danger he eased himself slightly; and gradually his breathing slowed down until it reached regularity. _"I guess that makes you my savior in a way."_

"…_Savior… I would prefer not to think of myself as such. Regardless, pleased sit down, we have matters to discuss."_

Makaze took a seat on the bed adjacent to the Assassin, placing the paper and pencil on his lap. He had tried to get a look at man's face but it was too well covered.

"_I'll start by alleviating some of your concerns as to how and why I am here… First, as you probably have already guessed, the image of me you are seeing is not a real one. You can call it a Genjutsu if you like, though these images are not an attempt on my part to deceive you. If I could talk to you in person I would, but right now that is not possible; and so we must both contend with this alternative. I could simply communicate with you as a disembodied voice, but at least this way I can somewhat introduce myself—"_

"_It would probably be a more genuine introduction if you weren't completely covered by that cloak…" _Makaze commented disappointedly _"You may as well be a disembodied voice."_

"_I know that the mystery surrounding me is going to bother you, but until I think you're ready I'm going to have to remain in this state of mystery, and that includes my face." _He paused _"I'm going to say this to you a lot, but if there is a truth you are not yet ready to hear me say, I cannot reveal it to you. And I would rather, if whenever possible, be honest and admit that there are things I cannot tell you immediately, rather than create lies that will suffice for the moment."_

"_So you don't think I'm capable of understanding who you are?" _Makaze asked indignantly.

"_That's a terribly negative way of putting it…" _The Assassin replied. _"But, and I'm also going to say this to you a lot, when you finally do learn the truth, you'll understand why I could not tell you everything immediately. Until then you'll just have to take my word for it, but I promise you that it is the truth. And I promise that when this is finished and done, all of your questions will be answered."_

Makaze sighed _"Alright. You got me; I'll take your word for it. So why are you here exactly?"_

"_Well, I'm sure you are wondering why it is you are bound to that name; the one you so despise. As I am also sure you are wondering why you seemingly forgot everything about who you were."_

"_The name I despise?" _Makaze frowned _"You mean—"_

The Assassin nodded, but raised his _"You don't have to say it, and I will never call you by that name. I know how much that name hurts you though I am not sure you know exactly why that name causes you so much pain. But yes, we both know what I am talking about."_

"_Alright… And yeah I guess I am curious. But that means… You know who I really am?" _Makaze asked excitedly, then stopped and sighed. _"But let me guess, there's a catch. There's got to be a catch, right?"_

The Assassin laughed. _"You're very perceptive I see… Let me explain. The memories that you no longer recall weren't actually deleted from your brain, they were… locked away; placed into the deeper recesses of your mind. Those memories are still in your mind, but they are now in a place where you can't call upon them and thus you have no conscious recollection of them. This also means that with the right tools, it will be possible to get all of those memories back. This is the caveat though; the process of reacquainting you with your old memories is something that cannot be done quickly and easily; it will take time, and above all: patience."_

"_W-what do you mean?" _He asked curiously.

"_I mean that It is not possible for me to simply toss all of that locked away information back into the right place, at least not without any negative consequences. Also, certain memories may be too sensitive and an untrained mind might reject them or, worse, go into a relapse."_

"_I… Don't quite understand." _Makaze commented. _"What do you mean by a sensitive memory?"_

The Assassin sighed _"It's not so easy to explain… The best I can say is this; you losing your memories were no accident. You will need to know, in time, everything that happened in the past, but… Many memories can be about good things, but the past is often filled with a lot of bad things, things you might find hard to accept, to understand, or to forgive without proper teachings and guidance. I cannot simply return all of your memories to you in a single session because you would undoubtedly find the experience too traumatic to endure. And so the only healthy way to go about it is to break your past down into bits that are for lack of a better word, digestible."_

"_And I take it you're going to help me with this?"_ Makaze asked, looking up at the Assassin.

"_Of course, that's what I'm here for. It's not going to be easy, and in order for you to do this successfully it will require more than simply relearning your past. You'll have to learn quite a lot more than what you knew before; about secrets you should have been told, and about skills you should have learned."_

"_You mean you're also going to train me?" _

"_Yes, But… first, there is something you are going to have to do. Tomorrow morning you are going to be released from this hospital, I can sense it. When you are free, you will be facing a trial. I need to see how you perform in this trial before we can begin your training and your rehabilitation."_

"_A trial? You mean like a test? What is it going to be about? I mean… will I be ready?"_

"_Ah you see… That's just it. I can't tell you what your test will be; otherwise it wouldn't be a true test. Will you be ready? If I was certain you were ready for it, or if I was certain that you were not, the test itself would not be at all necessary. But whether or not you will actually be ready is entirely your choice, not mine. For right now that is all I can say, try not to get too apprehensive. Rest peacefully; you will need it come tomorrow. I will reconnect with you soon. One other thing…You are—" _The Assassin paused.

"I am what?" Makaze asked aloud. But the man and the place on the bed where he had been sitting looked completely undisturbed

"What are you doing?" A nurse had opened the door while he wasn't looking. "I came to tell you that the extra time the doctor gave you is up and he wants you to go to bed. Who are you talking to?" The nurse asked him

"Nothing… just thinking." Makaze replied

"But I did hear you talking."

"Don't worry, it was just a thought, and well… it came out aloud by accident. Pretty funny actually…" He tried to laugh the matter off, but couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

"Alright… well, lights out." She flicked the light switch and the room entered into darkness. Then, Grabbing for the notebook and pen from his bed sheets, Makaze scribbled one last sentence blindly and clumsily in the dark:

"_You had better not forget this night!" _


	5. Author's Comments

**Author's Comments **

_Most importantly of all_ if you started reading this story and didn't like what you were reading. I **BEG** you to post a negative review explaining your thoughts, even if you think the story itself is an irredeemable work, I want to know why. If you hate the way I depict characters as being unreasonable, unoriginal, or unrealistic, or whatever, please elaborate. Silence is the absolute worst kind of review a writer can get. And of course, if you read this and you did in fact like what you are reading, I encourage you to post your thoughts as well…

I had begun working on a story with a relatively similar plot to this one several years ago, but numerous plot holes, spelling and grammar mistakes, and my overly perfectionist attitude towards writing kept me working at a snail's pace. I'm not going to pretend that the work I am doing here is perfect, it's going to have plot holes, hopefully fewer than before, and it's going to have some inconsistencies with the series canon. Once of the biggest challenges of this was that I would continually figure out how to circumvent new plot developments in the series. I've done what I can to improve my writing abilities and to reduce the spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes, and I'm tempted to say that this work is probably above average as far as that criterion goes.

Here is some honest forewarning about the work, I already have a fairly concrete idea about where I want to take the story, and it is a very long one. Also, and this is often very unpopular, the story centers on an original character of my creation (arguably a few) as well as several secondary original characters. I had intended to involve the canon characters more than what actually came to be. Finally, the story in general and the plot in particular is very dense, and the story does tend to move slower than I had originally intended. You'll figure it out soon enough but Chapter I start a few days after the first Arc of the series canon.

Genre's to the story include, but are not limited to: mystery, action, and horror. I've included a few cute scenes here and there but this is not a romance story nor is it a story centered on romantic pairings, just keep that in mind. Also, I've done my best to keep the powers of my OC's realistically limited, and of course, every character has his weakness, and mine are no exception. I am genuinely surprised that my conception of the characters was weaker than how they appear to be now in the most recent episodes. (On this matter I'm glad my characters aren't overpowered and yet I'm a little upset that they made the real ones so overpowered)

For future readers, in case you want to continue the series without having to start from the beginning, I will summarize the plot of each chapter at the end in a spoiler box. Also, I will have every chapter posted on with the beginnings of each chapter posted on the forum. When I get to around chapter V I'll start making summaries for all of the chapters.

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